Embodiments herein include novel ways of alerting store personnel when various activities, events, conditions, etc., occur at the checkout in retail establishments. For example, in accordance with one embodiment, the alerting can take place in substantially real-time, when the event occurs, allowing personnel to take appropriate measures, corrective or otherwise, to deal with the detected event. Examples of such events may include situations such as when a person of interest is detected as shopping at the store, when a cashier has missed scanning an item at the checkout, or to alert store personnel if a non-empty shopping cart has exited the store without payment (a.k.a., a cart push-out). Although the discussion below uses a grocery store as an example retail environment, embodiments herein can be used in any type of retail environment.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: in a computer system having at least a processor and a memory, monitoring data generated in a retail environment, the monitored data including at least one or more captured video images of a customer during a POS (Point of Sale) transaction occurring in the retail environment; in the computer system, performing a facial recognition analysis of the one or more video images captured during the POS transaction, to identity the customer and determine whether the identified customer is included in a watch list; in the computer system, identifying the customer and a store representative as participants involved in the transaction occurring in the retail environment based on the monitored data, the monitored data including at least facial recognition data obtained from the facial recognition analysis of the customer; in the computer system, analyzing the watch list to identify whether a combination including the customer and the store representative are included in the watch list, the watch list including identities of multiple persons, the identities of the multiple persons included in the watch list based on detection of corresponding suspicious behavior associated with the multiple persons prior to the transaction; in the computer system, detecting a cart pushout event by identifying video data indicating a cart operated by the customer is leaving or attempting to leave a particular area identified from predetermined areas of the retail environment that are monitored through the at least one or more of the captured images, identified by the video data, and wherein the cart comprises at least one item which was not properly recorded during the POS transaction, and wherein the particular area is identified from the predetermined areas comprising: a bypass path used to exit the retail environment by bypassing the checkout lanes, an ingress pathway used to enter the retail establishment with the customer leaving the retail environment through the ingress pathway, inactive checkout lanes having no transaction logs for any on-going transactions, and a POS checkout lane having a POS transaction log for the POS transaction; responsive to detecting that a combination including the customer and the store representative is specified in the watch list of the retail environment, in the computer system, and responsive to detecting the cart pushout event, generating a notification to alert retail personnel; in the computer system, electronically transmitting the notification, the notification indicating presence of the customer in the retail environment; prior to the customer exiting the retail environment, in the computer system, transmitting the notification to retail personnel, the notification indicating to the retail personnel that the customer is included on the watch list; prior to the transaction, in the computer system, producing the watch list to include an identity of the customer based on detecting occurrence of suspicious activity associated with the customer while the customer is in the retail environment; and wherein the notification is generated in a first stage as a preliminary alert, and in the computer system, processing a second stage prior to transmitting the notification that validates the preliminary alert associated with the notification, wherein during the second stage, real-time data feeds produced in the retail environment are provided as first inputs to the second stage and validation results are provided by human validation as second inputs to the second stage, wherein the second inputs represent a validation feedback.
2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein, in the computer system, monitoring the data generated in the retail environment includes monitoring point of sale data produced by a checkout terminal in the retail environment, the customer inputting personal information to the checkout terminal; and wherein identifying the customer includes processing the personal information to determine an identity of the customer.
3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the data includes point of sale data generated during the transaction.
4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising: in the computer system, transmitting the notification to an alarm system in the retail environment, the notification causing the alarm system to produce an alert to at least the customer in the retail environment.
5. The method as in claim 4 , wherein the alarm system is a pedestal designed to simulate the appearance and operation of an EAS (Electronic Article Security) pedestal.
6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the data is point of sale data identifying the customer, the identifying based on at least one resource in the group consisting of: a customer loyalty card assigned to the customer, a credit card used by the customer, and an analysis of items purchased by the customer during the transaction.
7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising: in the computer system, transmitting the notification to retail personnel in the retail environment, the retail personnel selected from the group consisting of: a particular person, a particular department, a member of a security personnel in the retail environment, and a remote video analyst.
8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the notification is of a type selected from the group consisting of: an SMS text message, an e-mail message, a command activating an alarm system located at an exit of a store alerting exiting customers of a potential security breach associated with the transaction, a notification indicating to an employee in the retail environment to pay attention to the customer in a self-checkout lane, a customer service notification indicating to an employee in the retail environment to provide assistance to the customer in a self-checkout lane, a command to halt the transaction, an alert message directed to a point of sale system, and an alert message directed to a self-checkout.
9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising: in the computer system, producing the notification to include a resource type selected from the group consisting of: text, a link to remotely available data, and video data.
10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the store representative is a self-checkout assistant cashier overseeing a self-checkout lane used by the customer.
11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transaction occurs in a self-checkout lane in the retail environment.
12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transaction occurs in a manned-checkout lane in the retail environment.
13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the transaction occurs using a mobile checkout device.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the notification to alert retail personnel further includes: in the computer system, identifying a grouping of multiple parties including the customer involved in the transaction based on data received from one or more feeds of the monitored data, the grouping including: the customer; and the store representative facilitating the transaction; and in the computer system detecting that the combination or pair including the customer and the store representative are specified in the watch list.
15. A method comprising: in a computer system having at least a processor and a memory, monitoring data generated in a retail environment, the monitored data including at least one or more captured video images of a customer during a POS (Point of Sale) transaction occurring in the retail environment; in the computer system, performing a facial recognition analysis of the one or more video images captured during the POS transaction, to identity the customer and determine whether the identified customer is included in a watch list; in the computer system, identifying the customer involved in the transaction occurring in the retail environment based on the monitored data, the monitored data including at least facial recognition data obtained from the facial recognition analysis of the customer; in the computer system, identifying a cashier involved in the transaction; in the computer system, analyzing the watch list to identify whether a combination of the identified cashier and the identified customer are included in the watch list, the watch list including identities of multiple persons, the identities of the multiple persons included in the watch list based on detection of corresponding suspicious behavior associated with the multiple persons prior to the transaction; in the computer system, detecting a cart pushout event by identifying video data indicating a cart operated by the customer is leaving or attempting to leave a particular area identified from predetermined areas of the retail environment that are monitored through the at least one or more captured video images, identified by the video data, and wherein the cart comprises at least one item which was not properly recorded during the POS transaction, and wherein the particular area is identified from the predetermined areas comprising: a bypass path used to exit the retail environment by bypassing the checkout lanes, an ingress pathway used to enter the retail establishment with the customer leaving the retail environment through the ingress pathway, inactive checkout lanes having no transaction logs for any on-going transactions, and a POS checkout lane having a POS transaction log for the POS transaction; in response to detecting that a combination of the identified cashier and the identified customer are both participants in the transaction and that the combination of the identified cashier and the identified customer are included in the watch list as being a suspicious grouping, and responsive to detecting the cart pushout event, in the computer system, generating a notification; and in the computer system, electronically transmitting the notification to alert retail personnel; prior to the customer exiting the retail environment, in the computer system, transmitting the notification to retail personnel, the notification indicating to the retail personnel that the customer is included on the watch list; prior to the transaction, in the computer system, producing the watch list to include an identity of the customer based on detecting occurrence of suspicious activity associated with the customer while the customer is in the retail environments; and wherein the notification is generated in a first stage as a preliminary alert, and in the computer system, processing a second stage prior to transmitting the notification that validates the preliminary alert associated with the notification, wherein during the second stage, real-time data feeds produced in the retail environment are provided as first inputs to the second stage and validation results are provided by human validation as second inputs to the second stage, wherein the second inputs represent a validation feedback.
16. A computer-readable hardware storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to perform the operations of: monitoring data generated in a retail environment, the monitored data including at least one or more captured video images of a customer during a POS (Point of Sale) transaction occurring in the retail environment; performing a facial recognition analysis of the one or more video images captured during the POS transaction, to identity the customer and determine whether the identified customer is included in a watch list; identifying the customer and a store representative as participants involved in the transaction based on the monitored data, the monitored data including at least facial recognition data obtained from the facial recognition analysis of the customer; analyzing the watch list to identify whether a combination including the customer and the store representative is are included in the watch list, the watch list including identities of multiple persons, the identities of the multiple persons included in the watch list based on detection of corresponding suspicious behavior associated with the multiple persons prior to the transaction; detecting a cart pushout event by identifying video data indicating a cart operated by the customer is leaving or attempting to leave a particular area identified from predetermined areas of the retail environment that are monitored through the one or more video images, identified by the video data, and wherein the cart comprises at least one item which was not properly recorded during the POS transaction, and wherein the particular area identified from the predetermined areas comprising: a bypass path used to exit the retail environment by bypassing the checkout lanes, an ingress pathway used to enter the retail establishment with the customer leaving the retail environment through the ingress pathway, inactive checkout lanes having no transaction logs for any on-going transactions, and a POS checkout lane having a POS transaction log for the POS transaction; responsive to detecting that the combination including the customer and the store representative is specified in the watch list of the retail environment, and responsive to detecting the cart pushout event, generating a notification to alert retail personnel; electronically transmitting the notification from a computer device, the notification indicating presence of the customer in the retail environment; prior to the customer exiting the retail environment, transmitting the notification to retail personnel, the notification indicating to the retail personnel that the customer is included on the watch list; prior to the transaction, producing the watch list to include an identity of the customer based on detecting occurrence of suspicious activity associated with the customer while the customer is in the retail environments; and wherein the notification is generated in a first stage as a preliminary alert, and processing a second stage prior to transmitting the notification that validates the preliminary alert associated with the notification, wherein during the second stage, real-time data feeds produced in the retail environment are provided as first inputs to the second stage and validation results are provided by human validation as second inputs to the second stage, wherein the second inputs represent a validation feedback.
17. A system comprising: at least one processor device; a storage resource that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the at least one processor device; and an interconnect coupling the at least one processor device and the storage resource, the at least one processor device executing the application and performing operations of: monitoring data generated in a retail environment, the monitored data including at least one or more captured video images of a customer during a POS (Point of Sale) transaction occurring in the retail environment; performing a facial recognition analysis of the one or more video images captured during the POS transaction, to identity the customer and determine whether the identified customer is included in a watch list; identifying the customer and a store representative as participants involved in the transaction occurring in the retail environment based on the monitored data, the monitored data including at least facial recognition data obtained from the facial recognition analysis of the customer; analyzing the watch list to identify whether a combination including the customer and store representative is are included in the watch list, the watch list including identities of multiple persons, the identities of the multiple persons included in the watch list based on detection of corresponding suspicious behavior associated with the multiple persons prior to the transaction; identifying a grouping of multiple parties including the customer involved in the transaction based on data received from one or more feeds of the monitored data, the grouping including: the customer; and a store representative facilitating the transaction; detecting that the combination or pair including the customer and the store representative are specified in the watch list; detecting a cart pushout event by identifying video data indicating a cart operated by the customer is leaving or attempting to leave a particular area identified from predetermined areas of the retail environment that are monitored through the one or more video images, identified by the video data, and wherein the cart comprises at least one item which was not properly recorded during the POS transaction, and wherein detecting further includes monitoring the particular area identified from the predetermined areas that comprise: a bypass path used to exit the retail environment by bypassing the checkout lanes, an ingress pathway used to enter the retail establishment with the customer leaving the retail environment through the ingress pathway, inactive checkout lanes having no transaction logs for any on-going transactions, and a POS checkout lane having a POS transaction log for the POS transaction; responsive to detecting that the combination including the customer and the store representative is specified in the watch list of the retail environment, and responsive to detecting the cart pushout event, generating a notification to alert retail personnel; and electronically transmitting the notification from a computer device, the notification indicating presence of the customer in the retail environment; and prior to the customer exiting the retail environment, transmitting the notification to retail personnel, the notification indicating to the retail personnel that the customer is included on the watch list; prior to the transaction, producing the watch list to include an identity of the customer based on detecting occurrence of suspicious activity associated with the customer while the customer is in the retail environment; and wherein the notification is generated in a first stage as a preliminary alert, and processing a second stage prior to transmitting the notification that validates the preliminary alert associated with the notification, wherein during the second stage, real-time data feeds produced in the retail environment are provided as first inputs to the second stage and validation results are provided by human validation as second inputs to the second stage, wherein the second inputs represent a validation feedback.
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June 6, 2012
December 1, 2020
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